[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 226 (Monday, November 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67780-67781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25923]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11589]


Secretary of State's Determinations Under the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and Frank R. Wolf International Religious 
Freedom Act of 2016

    The Secretary of State's designation of ``countries of particular 
concern'' and ``special watch list'' countries for religious freedom 
violations pursuant to Section 408(a) of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (Pub. L.

[[Page 67781]]

105-292), as amended (the Act), notice is hereby given that, on 
November 15, 2021, the Secretary of State, under authority delegated by 
the President, has designated each of the following as a ``country of 
particular concern'' (CPC) under section 402(b) of the Act, for having 
engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious 
freedom: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic 
of Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. 
The Secretary simultaneously designated the following Presidential 
Actions for these CPCs:

    For Burma, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 22 
CFR 126.1, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For China, the existing ongoing restriction on exports to China 
of crime control or detection instruments or equipment, under the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 
(Pub. L. 101-246), pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the existing 
ongoing restrictions to which the Democratic People's Republic of 
Korea is subject, pursuant to sections 402 and 409 of the Trade Act 
of 1974 (the Jackson-Vanik Amendment), and pursuant to section 
402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Eritrea, the existing ongoing restrictions referenced in 22 
CFR 126.1, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Iran, the existing ongoing travel restrictions in section 
221(c) of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 
2012 (TRA) for individuals identified under section 221(a)(1)(C) of 
the TRA in connection with the commission of serious human rights 
abuses, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the Act;
    For Pakistan, a waiver as required in the ``important national 
interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of the Act;
    For Russia, the existing ongoing sanctions issued for 
individuals identified pursuant to section 404(a)(2) of the Russia 
and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law 
Accountability Act of 2012 and section 11 of the Support for the 
Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine 
Act of 2014, as amended by Section 228 of the Countering America's 
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of 
the Act;
    For Saudi Arabia, a waiver as required in the ``important 
national interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of 
the Act;
    For Tajikistan, a waiver as required in the ``important national 
interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of the Act; 
and
    For Turkmenistan, a waiver as required in the ``important 
national interest of the United States,'' pursuant to section 407 of 
the Act.

    In addition, the Secretary of State has designated the following 
countries as ``special watch list'' countries for engaging in or 
tolerating severe violations of religious freedom: Algeria, Comoros, 
Cuba, and Nicaragua.
    The Secretary of State's designation of ``entities of particular 
concern'' for religious freedom violations. Pursuant to Section 408(a) 
of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-292), 
notice is hereby given that, on November 15, 2021, the Secretary of 
State, under authority delegated by the President, has designated each 
of the following as an ``entity of particular concern'' under section 
301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016 
(Pub. L. 114-281), for having engaged in particularly severe violations 
of religious freedom: Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the 
Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-
Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabriela Anciola, Office of 
International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State, (Phone: 
(202) 647-3607 or Email: [email protected]).

Daniel L. Nadel,
Senior Official, Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2021-25923 Filed 11-26-21; 8:45 am]
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